Friday, June 15, 2007

Patient!

Assalamualaykum.

Just finished my class with my Year 6 kids.
Well, today I think my patience goes up way beyond the limit.
Why? Read below.
The scenes happen in the same day (which is today-lah).

+++++++++++
Scene 1:

TeacherFizzy: I want you to take out the homework that I asked you to do. Put up your hands those who didn't finish that homework.

(almost half of the class put up their hands.)

TeacherFizzy: Was it that hard?I only asked you to write 10 SIMPLE sentences using words that I had already given you the meanings. And we have gone through the words a few times already!

Those who didn't finish their homework, I want you to get out of my class. Get out! I don't have time for those who are not interested in learning.

(students obidiently [and happily] got out of the class.)

* * *

Scene 2:

TeacherFizzy: I want each of you to share your sentences with your friends, write it on the board. 1 sentence for 1 person.

(the remaining students began writing on the board.)

TeacherFizzy: "Just now, I drew my mother and father picture." Amer, what do you want to say here actually? 'Saya lukis gambar ibu bapa saya', atau 'saya melukis gambar untuk ibu bapa saya'?

(no answer.)

TeacherFizzy: Do you hear me? Apa maksud ayat yang awak tulis ni? Come on, your wrote it yourself, mesti la tahu maksud kan? Saya bukan marah, saya nak tahu apa yang awak cuba maksudkan lepas tu saya akan betulkan lah.

(still no answer, he didn't even look at me when I asked him.)

TeacherFizzy: Amer!! Saya dah cakap BM ni. Faham tak soalan saya? Saya cuma nak tahu maksud ayat awak ni. Bukan saya kata ayat awak salah. Bila dah tahu apa yang awak cuba sampaikan, baru saya boleh betulkan mana-mana yang patut. Kalau tak, jadi lain pulak. Awak akan salah faham nanti!

(he remained silent and my body started shaking, tears suddenly filled my eyes.)

TeacherFizzy: MasyaAllah! Answer me, Amer. Is it that hard to understand my question? Itu ayat yang awak buat sendiri, bukan ayat yang saya bagi. So you MUST know the meaning kan?

(tears rolled down my cheek by now..)

Amer: "Saya melukis gambar ibu bapa saya."

TeacherFizzy: There!!! Boleh pun jawab. Itu lah yang saya tanya dari tadi lagi. That's what I want to hear. Kenapa dari tadi awak tak bagi maksud tu? Nak saya menangis dulu baru awak nak jawab? So, your sentence should be like this: " Just now, I drew a picture of my mother and father."

(after a bit of 'lecture', the class continue as usual.)

+++++++++

Yeah, I cried in front of my students.
The first time this year.
Does that make me a bad teacher?
I do sound like one, don't I?

Sigh~

Wassalam.

14 comments:

  1. errrkkk...
    mujo dok ghajing masuk kelah che'gu..
    bekeng sunggoh... hehe...

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  2. amer tu takut nak jawab kot...sbb takut salah...

    cik fiz, cube tanye lembut -lembut...ke dorang tak kesah gak?

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  3. cikgu ni semangat sentimentel jugak, so, kira dah abis geram la tu kot?

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  4. Pa'chik..
    Tu pun versi 'lembut'..
    Agaknya kalu tgk 'live' konpem pa'chik tokse blaja nga fizzy.
    Heheheheh..
    Oghe kato gapo?
    "Marah² sayang"? =D
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Cik Puan Asni,
    First time, second time tanya..
    aku memang tanya lembut² tau..
    Yang buat aku agak p***** off sikit sbb soalan aku dlm BM.
    And I did tell him, dia tak buat salah, aku just tanya apa yang dia nak maksudkan je.

    Tp, budak² ni x makan saman sikit.
    Aku marah² pun, 10 mins later diorang buat as if nothing happened je.
    Sabar je la.. huhuhu..
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Kak Umi Ameer,
    Tiap tahun sure akan 'ter' nanges depan budak².
    Tu kira tahap maximum laa tu, takleh sabar.
    Abes kelas tu terus okay.

    A-ahh..sentimental sikit hari ni.
    Hehehehehe

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  5. oh that doesn't make u a bad teacher.. good doctors also sometimes cry.. heheh.. after all, we r humans with feelings.. to help but fail, it can be very frustrating, i agree.. but that shows that we have passion in our work.. and passion is what drives u forward.. we will become better individuals, insya-Allah :)

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  6. Dr Am,..
    Talking through experience ke?
    Hehehehe..

    It's so frustrating, you got it spot on.
    My students they have actually improved in terms of their exam results.
    What saddens me is that their attitude.

    Mim-alif-lam-sin tu bermaharajalela.

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  7. budok-budok kato.. maghoh gak beci la tu... laing kali kutel peghuk budok tuh.. haha... dok pung tarik saikbeng

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  8. If Amer is the future of Malaysia we should all be worried sick.

    His reluctance to answer a simple question posed by his teacher either showed that kids nowadays are:

    a) Rude and condescending. They are influenced by their parents' second-class treatment of maids at home thus making the kids think that they live in a caste system with you the teacher, unfortunately, being in the lower caste.

    or

    b) Brought up in an environment where they could not even interact with anything that is not covered in an exercise book.(In this case, a simple question from a teacher) After years of drone-like precision of doing exercises to score in examinations, they could not participate in activities which require their own creative input.

    But hey, I wasn't in the class. Maybe Amer was just distracted by the lovely Aminah(if people still name their kids Aminah) sitting across from him.

    Don't be thinking you are a bad teacher. Just think that the students are bad instead.

    Being a teacher is hard but you can only do so much for the students.

    btw, not to be condescending or anything, but I think you misspelt 'obediently'.

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  9. err.. takkan dua kemungkinan tu saja... banyak juga yang lain.. mungkin budak tu takut ngan che'gu.
    mungkin budak tu takut dia dah buat silap
    mungkin jugak budak tu malu... kalau-kalau dia buat silap
    mungkin budak tu.. pemalu
    err.. banyak lagi kemungkinan lain..

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  10. yolo gok deh. hok 2 tuh, sajo jah, nak bagi budok lonih napok punoh. Dok brehi aku peranga budok lonih.

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  11. Pa'chik ku,
    Kutil peghuk nga taghik saidbeng...
    Meme sokmo buak..
    Just that magheng segho frust do-oh nga budok² tu.
    Tu ya ter nangis tu.

    Err, part dio takuk nga chegu..mungkin ado betulnyo jugok.
    Sbb meme fizzy ni bekeng.
    Sogho pon high pitch.
    Mujo tok masok AF jah.. hehehehe..
    Tapi seingat fizzy meme magheng tanyo dio 'molek.
    Buke maghoh pong.
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Abd..
    I notice you'd leave comment[s] if my entry's about English.
    Guess I've to write more of the subject and then get to know what you think.

    Anyway, reason 1 is out.
    Alhamdulillah, my students still have respect for us teachers.
    That's the +ve side of teaching in a rural area. =)

    I must agree with no.2.
    They lack practice, or should I say they can't apply what they learn at school with their parents, family and friends at home.
    Oh! and there wasn't any Aminah or Bedah or Fatimah that got him distracted that time.
    LOL

    Thanks for correcting 'obediently'.
    No wonder it looks a bit different.Hahahaha.

    My goodness, you're a Kelantanese also?
    Hoooooray!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. che'gu, bak sal'loh ejo tu ke... err... takdok speling cheker eh? brauzer musepawaka nih ado... mesti naik la lain meghoh... mokzila musepawaka 2.0.0.3

    ReplyDelete
  13. dang babe!
    nanges sbb geram?! been there but then, i xde la dpn2..omg! kalu i jd that teacher, mmg rotan kegeraman pls!? tensionnye..

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  14. girl,

    kalau aku jd cikgu mesti aku dh cekik dh die.

    ReplyDelete